Bowling ball lift mechanism



N0V- 5, 1963 R. l. ANDERSON ET AL 3,109,649

BOWLING BALI.. LIFT MECHANISM Original Filed June 30, 1960 INVENTORS. O/ Q' @E KM@ United States Patent Oiilice 3,109,649 Patented Nov. 5, 1963 6 Claims. (Cl. 273-49) This application is a division of our copending application Serial No. 40,103, tiled June 30, 1960, which in turn is a continuation-impart of our applic-ation Serial No. 796,017, tiled February 27, 1959, now abandoned, that entirely disclosed the subject matter of the present application.

This invention relates to a bowling ball lift mechanism, and more particularly to a ball lift mechanism located at the players end of a bowling alley.

An object of this invention is to provide a new and improved ball lift.

Another object of this invention -is to provide a ball lift which receives a ball traveling at any speed along a ball return track disposed beneath the level of the alley without stoppage or slowing down of the ball prior to entry into the lift and discharges the ball therefrom onto a storage rack at a controlled low speed whereby the momentum of a ball traveling along the return track is taken up by the ball lift mechanism and the ball is discharged at a controlled drop-olf rate onto the storage rack.

Another object of the invention is to provide a ball handling mechanism comprising a ball storage rack at the players end of the alley, a ball return track spaced from said rack for conveying a ball to the players end of the alley, means positioned between said track and rack for transporting a ball therebetween comprising, a. first ball conveying mechanism positioned adjacent said return track to receive a ball traveling along said track, and a second ball conveying mechanism positioned adjacent the iirst ball conveying mechanism and the storage rack for receiving a ball from the first conveying mechanism and discharging the ball onto the rack.

Further objects and advantages will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. l is a diagrammatic side view -in elevation of a bowling alley and the ball handling mechanism in association therewith;

FIG. 2 is a vertical section on a-n enlarged scale of a bowling alley and the ball lift mechanism in a preferred embodiment and taken generally along the line 2--2 in FIG. 3; and

FIG. 3 is a plan section taken generally along the line 3-3 FIG. 2.

While this invention is susceptible of embodiment in many different forms, there is shown in the drawings and will herein be described in detail a preferred embodiment ofthe invention with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplication of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the embodiment illustrated. The scope of the invention will be pointed out in the appended claims.

With regard to the preferred embodiment of FIGS. l to 3, the bowling alley has an approach supporting a ball storage rack 11 extending lengthwise of the approach and at a side thereof for supporting bowling balls 12 for selection by a bowler. The rack 11 has an adjustable stop 13 which is settable in a desired position along the length of rack 11 to control the location of bowling balls 12 on the rack.

The bowling alley has a return track for returning bowling balls from the pit end of the alley to the alley approach area comprising a pair of elongated ball track members 14 and 15 which are disposed beneath the level .of the alley to prov-ide a hidden ball return.

A ball lift, indicated generally at 16, is positioned between the ball return and Ithe storage rack 11 for transporting a ball from the track to the rack, and is disposed in and above ian opening in the approach.

The ball lift 16 comprises a frame suitably fastened to the alley structures and having plates 20 at each side of the ball lift mechanism with arms 20a, 20b, and 20c for supporting part of the mechanism.

The ball lift has a first ball conveying mechanism mounted on said frame, including a irst rotatable member 21,' preferably in the form of a wheel, mounted on a shaft 22 journaled for rotation in the frame plates 20. A virst curved guide track 23 suitably formed as part of the frame or, as shown, as a pair of rods, has a ball entrance end 23a Iadjacent the end of the return track and an intermediate part thereof concentric with the axis of rotation of the wheel 21 to maintain a ball in engagement with the wheel 21 for elevation thereof. The track 23 is spaced from the wheel 21 at a distance less than the diameter of a ball.

The ball lift has a second ball conveying mechanism mounted on the frame plate 20 including a second rotatable member in the for-m of la pair of wheels 24 and 25 mounted on a shaft 26 which is; journaled -for rotation inthe frame plates 20. The wheels 24 and 25 are positioned generally above the lirst wheel 21. A second curved guide track formed las an integral part of the frame, or, as shown, as a pair of spaced apart rods 28 is spaced from said wheels 24 and 25 and has an end 28a connected to the iirst guide track 23 to, in effect, form an extension thereof, and the other end 28b of the second guide track is disposed adjacent the ball storage rack 11. The intermediate part of the second guide track 28 is concentric with the axis of rotation of the wheels 24 and 25 to hold a ball against the wheels to provide for elevation thereof by the wheels. IIt will be obvious that the wheel 21 may be formed as two wheels similar to the wheels 24 and 2S, and -a single wheel could be used in place of the wheels 24 and 25'. Each of the wheels has -a lmetal hub of appropriate size, and a resilient, abrasion resistant covering is carried on the hub and has the appropriate frictional properties required to lift the balls along the lguide tracks 23 and 28. The wheels 21, 24 and 25 are rotated in a counter-clockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 2 and as shown by the directional arrows in said ligure, by suitable means such as gears, chains, or, as shown, a drive motor 30 having an output shaft with a pulley 3-1 which, through a belt 32, drives a pulley 33 on the wheel shaft 22. The wheel shaft 22 also carries a smaller diameter pulley 34 which is connected by a belt 35 to a pulley 36 on the shaft 26 for wheel-s 24 and 25.

A suitable hood 40 encloses the ball lift and is provided with an opening 41 through which a ball passes in moving onto the ball rack 11.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a pair of elongated plates 42 and 43 are disposed at opposite sides of ithe return track and function to straighten out balls that may be rolling erratically down the track before the ball arrives of the first lifting wheel 21. A top guide 44 aids in directing a ball into the lifting wheel.

With the arrangement shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the iirst ball lifting wheel 21 rotates at a greater speed than the wheels 24 and 25 of the second conveying mechanism, whereby the ball will be propelled up the first guide track 23 at a speed greater than that when the ball is being propelled up the second guide track 28. The greater speed of the first ball lifting wheel 21 enables the reception thereby of a ball traveling at a relatively high speed along the return track Without placing undue shock on the ball lift, and the reduced speed of the second hall wheel composed of wheels 24 and 25 results in the ball leaving the ball lift at a reduced rate of speed. Ilt will be notcd that a ball rolling along the ball storage rack 11 changes its direction of rotation from that in going up the tracks 23 and Z8, and the relatively slow rotation of the ball coming out of the ball lift precludes the possibility of injury to a bowler by a ball skidding along the storage rack.

Although the first guide track 23 and the second guide track 28 are shown as composed of spaced rods, the track may be otherwise formed and may be either rigid or flexibly mounted, and when flexibly mounted will assist in absorbing shock loads and accommodating varying sizc balls. Variation in ball size is also taken care of by the resilient covering of the wheels.

We claim:

l. In a ball lift, the combination of a lower elevator wheel and an upper elevator wheel arranged generally one above the other to raise a bowling ball in a generally upright planar path, the upper wheel having its axis of rotation spaced horizontally to one side of the axis of rotation of the lower Wheel, a curved lower ball guideway extending from the bottom of the lower wheel upwardly around a portion of its periphery toward the up per wheel, a curved upper ball guideway communicating with said lower guideway and extending upwardly around a portion of the periphery of the upper wheel, said guideways being positioned to hold a bal-l in engagement with said wheels and being disposed on that side of the wheels to which the axis of the upper wheel is otiset from the axis of the lower Wheel, and means. lfor rotating said wheels.

2. A combination as defined in claim 1, wherein each of said guideways has a mid-portion concentric with the associated elevator wheel.

3. A combination as defined in claim 1, including means for rotating the lower Wheel at a greater speed than the upper wheel, thereby to receive a rapidly moving incoming ball and discharge the ball at a relatively slow controlled rate.

4. A ball lift comprising, a first ball conveying mechanism for receiving a ball from an alley return track comprising a first rotatable member and a first guide track spaced from said member, said guide track having a part generally concentric with the member axis of rotation and positioned to hold a ball in engagement with the first member, a second ball conveying mechanism for receiving a ball from the iirst conveying mechanism and discharging the ball to a storage mechanism. comprising a second rotatable member and a second guide track spaced from said second member, said second guide track having a part generally concentric with the second member axis of rotation and positioned to hold the ball in engagement with the second member, the rotational axis of said first member being vertically offset from the rotational axis of said second member and said irst guide track intersecting said second guide track at a level spaced below the top of said first mem-ber, means for rotating said members with the first Imember having a greater speed than the second member, a return ball runway communicating with the lower end of said first guide track to deliver a ball to the latter and a ball storage rack cornmunicating with the upper end of the second guide track for receiving balls from the latter.

5. A ball handling apparatus, comprising a ball storage rack in an approach adjacent to a bowling alley, a ball return track for returning a ball from the pit end of the alley toward the approach area, means adjacent said rack for transferring a ball from said return track to said rack including a rst rotatable wheel overlying said return track to engage a ball thereon, a first guide track having a part curved about the periphery of said first wheel to maintain a ball in engagement with said wheel, a second rotatable wheel having its axis spaced from the axis of the first wheel a second guide track for receiving a ball from the tirst wheel and guide track including an intermediate part curved about the periphery of the second wheel and a discharge end adjacent said track, and means for driving the irst Wheel at a relatively high rate of speed to receive a ball entering the first guide track at a relatively high speed and the second wheel at a relatively low ra-te of speed to discharge a ball from the second guide track at a controlled low speed.

6` The apparatus defined `in claim 5 wherein said first and second guide tracks are each positioned on the same side of said Wheels with the curved portions of said guide tracks open toward the 'ball return track, and said second guide track being positioned generally vertically above said first guide track` References Cited in the tile ot this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 751,170 Hopkins et al. Feb. 2, 1904 1,468,212 Redfield Sept. 18, 1923 1,510,720 Thompson Oct. 7, 1924 2,796,261 Turner June 18, 1957 2,796,970 lBorrowdale June 25, 1957 2,928,676 Sunday Mar. 15, 1960 

1. IN A BALL LIFT, THE COMBINATION OF A LOWER ELEVATOR WHEEL AND AN UPPER ELEVATOR WHEEL ARRANGED GENERALLY ONE ABOVE THE OTHER TO RAISE A BOWLING BALL IN A GENERALLY UPRIGHT PLANAR PATH, THE UPPER WHEEL HAVING ITS AXIS OF ROTATION SPACED HORIZONTALLY TO ONE SIDE OF THE AXIS OF ROTATION OF THE LOWER WHEEL, A CURVED LOWER BALL GUIDEWAY EXTENDING FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE LOWER WHEEL UPWARDLY AROUND A PORTION OF ITS PERIPHERY TOWARD THE UPPER WHEEL, A CURVED UPPER BALL GUIDEWAY COMMUNICATING WITH SAID LOWER GUIDEWAY AND EXTENDING UPWARDLY AROUND A PORTION OF THE PERIPHERY OF THE UPPER WHEEL, SAID GUIDEWAYS BEING POSITIONED TO HOLD A BALL IN ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID WHEELS AND BEING DISPOSED ON THAT SIDE OF THE WHEELS TO WHICH THE AXIS OF THE UPPER WHEEL IS OFFSET FROM THE AXIS OF THE LOWER WHEEL, AND MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID WHEELS. 